Braids
by Empress Empoleon
Summary: In which there is a lot of rain and Levy begins a new friendship.


Levy's never liked rainy days. And today is no exception.

It's a downpour outside, the torrential water pounding on the windowpanes and making the shutters tremble outside. The cobblestone road is a river and everything is flooding over.

There's so much water that it feels like an ocean.

When she had woken up, the storm was already going steady. She had planned on going to the guild regardless _("What's a little rain?")_ but Mother Nature just wouldn't allow it, what with the way it soaked her right through all her layers the moment she stepped outside.

"I'll just use some magic," she mutters, getting herself ready to create the word _DRY _and get herself safely to the guild.

"Are you going to the guild, Levy?" The petite girl turns to find Erza herself, arms crossed as she stares at the rain. "In this weather?"

Levy nods, turning back. "I thought I'd cast a dry spell on myself and run as fast as I could."

"Mirajane just came over to tell me that the guild's been flooded so nobody can get inside," Erza explains, leaning over to shut the front doors. The clang resounds and Levy gasps.

"Is everyone alright?" Levy asks worriedly.

Erza nods, smiling. "Master got everyone out in time, and I heard most of them are holed up in Mirajane's place."

"What about Lucy?" Levy asks. She's her best friend after all!

"She didn't come to the guild," Erza replies.

"But now she's all alone in her apartment," Levy mumbles. Lucy's a bright girl, and Levy hopes she isn't feeling under the weather.

"I wouldn't worry about her," Erza blanches. "Natsu's staying with her."

Levy sighs in relief, before her eyes widen. "Eh? Natsu?"

"Yeah," Erza sighs. "As soon as he realized Lucy wasn't there, he dashed to her place. I imagine it's taking up all her strength to stop him from burning the place down."

"At least she'll be warm?" Levy tries. But then giggles escape her. "I can't wait to tease her though! Her and Natsu, all alone in her apartment. I wonder if anything will happen?"

Erza laughs loudly, and the two girls begin scheming many things about the oddball pair as they walk into the lobby. Wendy is quietly sitting on one of the couches next to a dozing Cana, and Evergreen is sitting with her legs crossed in another chair.

"Is the weather because of Juvia?" Evergreen snaps. "I swear, sometimes she's so unreasonable."

"Eh? Juvia didn't make this rain." Juvia walks in, wearing her usual clothes and her hair curled perfectly. "Juvia feels happy right now."

"Can you stop it though?" Evergreen retorts.

Juvia shakes her head. "Juvia cannot stop natural rain."

Erza sighs. "We'll just have to wait it out then."

"I'm done here," Evergreen declares, standing up. "I'll grab something to eat from the kitchen. You can join me if you'd like." She walks away, her heels clacking on the wooden floor. A sleepy Cana follows her, yelling for some booze.

"Juvia is hungry," Juvia murmurs, following the other two.

"I'm going too. Do you want anything to eat?" Erza asks, but Levy shakes her head.

Levy sighs as well. She was hoping to get to read some of Lucy's new work today at the guild, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Maybe she could reread one of her old novels though.

Levy starts to make her way to the stairs, deciding to spend the day in her room, when she feels something tug her wrist.

"Wendy?" The small blue-haired girl is blushing slightly, her fingers holding Levy's wrist.

"Can I join you in your room?" Wendy asks. "My room is on the ground floor, and the water is seeping in."

Levy blinks. It's not like she would _refuse _her, especially when Wendy was staring at her with those guilt-inducing eyes. "Of course."

Wendy brightens up instantly, and Levy almost feels like smiling. Her face is so..._cute_!

Levy walks up the flight of stairs, and Wendy follows behind her, quiet and obedient. She's so quiet, in fact, that Levy turns around multiple times to make sure she's still there.

As soon as Levy opens the door, she makes a run for her bookshelf, grabbing two or three fat, fraying novels. She throws herself at her bed and makes herself comfortable, before cracking open the first book.

Wendy bows, and Levy raises an eye from the words on the page. "Thank you Levy-san."

"You don't need to be so...formal," Levy tells her. "Would you like to read a book?"

"No thank you," is her reply. Levy shrugs, looking back to her book.

The next minutes are extremely awkward. Wendy is completely silent sitting on the carpet, save for some fidgeting, and Levy finds the atmosphere way too uncomfortable for her to focus on reading.

"That's it, I can't take it anymore," Levy complains loudly, and Wendy quickly stands up like a scared rabbit.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you! I am taking advantage of your kindness Levy-san! I am so very sorry!" Wendy rattles off, bowing repeatedly, and Levy gets off the bed, surprised at her.

"Calm down Wendy!" Levy says. "I'm not mad at you. It's just that I don't feel like reading anymore. It's not your fault."

Wendy stares up at her, before sighing. Levy can hear the relief in her voice, and realizes that she hasn't been very welcoming at all to the younger girl.

"You know, we both have blue hair," Levy observes. Levy's hair is light blue, and short too, only reaching to just below her shoulders. Wendy's, on the other hand, is long and and deep blue, her pigtails swooping down to her knees.

"Can I braid your hair?" Wendy blurts out, before covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine." Levy smiles warmly at her, and Wendy's cheeks flush. "Go ahead."

Levy sits down on her knees, and Wendy does the same behind her, her fingers slowly running through her hair and parting it into three parts.

"I haven't had my hair braided in a long time," Levy thinks aloud. Wendy hums in response, her fingers working quickly.

"Your hair is very smooth," Wendy observes. "It's easy to braid."

"Really?" Levy laughs. "Usually it's a pain."

Wendy giggles too, before clicking her tongue. "I'm done!"

Levy gets up, and turns to see herself in her dresser mirror. All of her hair is in one neat braid that ends between her shoulder blades.

"Do you think it looks nice?" Levy asks, holding the braid in her hands. It's very well done.

"I think Levy-san looks very cute with a braid!" Wendy declares. "It's different than usual but it suits you."

Levy blinks in surprise. She had never thought she would look good in a braid, but somehow, Wendy's determination convinced her otherwise.

"You braided very well!" Levy exclaims. "Can I do yours?"

Wendy smiles and Levy feels like maybe the storm wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

"It's really unusual for you to have your hair in a braid, Levy," Lucy says as Levy sits next to her the next day at the guild. The sunlight is pouring through the windows and the smell of fresh rain covers everything. "It suits you though."

"Someone else told me that too," Levy replies, glancing at the petite blue-haired girl across the room.

"Wendy!" Levy gets up, yelling across the guild's noise. "Come sit with us!"

The small girl stares, before running over quickly, her grin going from ear-to-ear.

Maybe Levy had made a new friend.

* * *

A/N: I feel like they could be good friends but I completely ruined it with my writing. I'm sorry.


End file.
